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SOMERSET TRACK REVIEW 2001. .

The words of the Meatloaf song say, "Two out of Three ain't bad !" and for the Somerset Rebels this is most certainly true in describing their highly successful 2001 season.

Their aim was the treble of the League, K O Cup and Conference Trophy but their quest for the championship was thwarted by the Sheffield Prowlers who retained their title finishing, in the final analysis, only three points ahead of the Rebels.

All the hype and success of the inaugural season was maintained and the crowd levels remained at a steady average giving the Somerset promotion the confidence to plan ahead with their long term plans of moving up into a higher level of racing in 2002.

Although the ultimate goal of becoming league champions escaped them, the Rebels achieved success in both the other major competitions as they ended the season in style with victories over Boston in the Trophy Final and Rye House in the K O Cup. With runners-up spot added to this Somerset were undoubtedly the powerhouse side of the Conference League.

The Cup Finals were both classics. The Trophy Final was evenly poised as the Rebels went down by nine in the away leg without both reserves Nick Simmons and Simon Phillips before taking the club's first honours infront of the home fans in resounding fashion. The K O Cup was hit by the weather before finally being run before the season's closure with the legs switching round giving the Rebels fans the opportunity to celebrate the side's success in the final meeting of the year. The win at Rye House was emphatic with the side fuelled by the behind the scenes decisions over withdrawing the facility to use rider-replacement for Lee Herne and then altering the declared heat leaders to make Simon Phillips a heat leader some 48 hours before the scheduled first leg! The second leg was a mathematical formality and the double was achieved with consummate ease to start the party celebrations.

The Rebels though believe they can pinpoint exactly where the league title was lost . The only reassuring point for them was that the eventual gap was three points. Had it been just two then the entire Somerset camp and travelling Rebel Army (who were magnificent throughout the year with their support) would have pointed to one controversial refereeing decision that robbed them of the title. As it was this was not the case but heat 15 in the away match at Rye House will be long talked about when ref Mick Bates excluded Jamie Smith when home man Chris Courage "fell" on the pits turn in the decisive final race with the Rebels needing a 4-2 to take a win for the second time in two years at Hoddesdon having been the only side to dent the Rockets home record in 2000.

They could also look back to the away match at Peterborough on Sunday July 15th when they were without Jamie Smith and Simon Phillips on Premier League duty and had Lee Herne making his track return after a broken wrist. The Rebels were planning on letting him ease himself back into action as number 8 just as Malcolm Holloway had been allowed to do twelve months previously but the referee (just happened to be Mick Bates again!) declared that this would not be permissible so instead of using Rider-Replacement for Jamie Smith (where the plan was to use Lee for his rides anyway!), Herne was drafted in as No. 3. The Rebels then lost new signing Nick Simmons with concussion in his first ride after he had made an amazing debut at home on the Friday with a paid maximum. With a full strength side things would have been much different and two valuable league points were lost.

Another meeting where they were forced to track an under-strength side, although in reality it was the toughest task of the season, was for the visit to Sheffield on May 21st. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon the Rebels were down to just three team regulars in Malcolm Holloway, Mark Phillips and Jamie Holmes with the latter suffering from raging toothache and electing to ride due to the predicament his team were in. Wolverhampton junior Tim Healey was contacted and taken out of school early to make his CL debut. Belle Vue released Danny Hodgson from their second half although the former Buxton teamster was forced to borrow bikes all night when his own failed to start. The ever dependable veteran Ray Dickson rushed to aid his club's plight and with rider-replacement operated Ashley Holloway borrowed a bike off Claus Kristensen to line-up at No. 8. Attempts to track both old hands Holloway and Bishop, agreed to by Sheffield, was denied by the BSPA and a 32 point total was on the night an achievement for the Rebels! It would have certainly been interesting to see a full strength Rebels side up against the Prowlers but it was not be and as it stands they are the only club Somerset have failed to win against in two years!

But the title was won and lost on Friday August 31st when Sheffield came to the Oak Tree Arena and overcame an eleven point deficit to pull back to a 45.5 to 43.5 win as the Rebels literally ran out of riders and steam! The rebels, already using R/R for Herne, will look to heat 2 when the highly consistent scoring Jamie Holmes was cared off to hospital with a broken bone just above the ankle. On a patchy track he hit a wet patch going into the pits turn spun round and young Lee Complin, following close behind, attempted to lay his bike down to avoid Jamie but his machine thudded into the young Rebel with the footrest doing the damage. This ended the Newport loanee's 2001 season just days before the CLRC Final at Rye House which he had superbly reached. He had shown great improvement throughout the season and had become a firm favourite with the fans. His form in August had been truly awesome. He started with a paid 14 score in the CLRC qualifier to take top spot, then he banged in paid 16 against Peterborough, 12 against Rye House and then top scored with paid 14 against Mildenhall.

By a master stroke of co-incidence the Rebels had strengthened their squad the same day he was injured before the transfer deadline date adding Gary Phelps to the team. He had only agreed to join the club he had been the original been the skipper of , captaining the side in both their challenges at Buxton and St Austell in 1999, at the last minute. He therefore effectively replaced Holmes, although this was not the Rebels' real intentions.

He instantly became a cult hero on the Oak Tree Arena terracing enjoying popularity he'd never known before !! He was a deserving winner of the most entertaining rider of the year award and proved to be a shrewd signing. He was an entertainer both on and off track with team boss Laurence Rogers believing he was worth 5 or 6 points to the team even before the meeting began! "He was the joker in the pack and kept us all amused. We started to have pre-meeting team talks which Phelpsy dominated and had us all in stitches. This helped such a lot as it relaxed all the boys and I think this attributed to our end of season dominance."

He was not the only Rebel to finally make it "home" with Nick Simmons making a mid-season switch from Newport where he'd been having a torrid time to revitalise him and restore his scoring potential. He too was an original Rebel of 1999 but somehow he escaped the net. He was "Mr Ever-Trying" with his final bend swoops and bursts a joy to watch reminiscent of the original "Mr Ever-Trying" nickname Alan Grahame, who too never gave up the chase for points until the chequered flag fell. With Nick's dad Steve naming 'Big Al' as his favourite rider of all time, his son also adopted Alan's last to the gate before a race habit!

The 2001 season had begun with the Rebels contesting the decision not to allow both Malcolm Holloway and Steve Bishop to ride together. Their argument was that they had done so in 2001 so why not in 2002? The BSPA also blocked Jarno Kosonen's track return deciding that the Flying Finn was also an 'old-hand' although he had only ridden in some 50 odd official matches in his time in the UK. This was eventually overturned when the old hands ruling was altered and Jarno's season begun on June 1st riding for Southampton against the Rebels. Although he did not produce heat leader form his performances at Buxton (10+3), the Trophy Final at Kings Lynn (8), and the K O Cup Final at Rye House (10) stood out as his most impressive. When Holmes was injured he showed team boss Rogers what he could do after being dropped by hitting 11 from 4 rides against Boston at Kings Lynn. Amazingly the "West Country Finn" produced some of his best performances away from the Oak Tree Arena but this all added up to aid the Rebels cause.

In contrast local lad Matthew Cross saved his best for home and after a brief comeback in 2000 he had a full season and gave solid support mainly from the tough No. 2 spot. He got better as the season progressed especially after the purchase of a new engine courtesy of sponsors Trafalgar Chemicals and his mum ! He was one who was sorry to see the end of the season come with his scores getting better and better.

Whilst Cross had an up and down season overall Mr Consistency was 18 year old Hull loanee Jamie Smith. He only failed to post a double figure score in just one meeting when a controversial exclusion in the K O Cup match at Newport restricted him to a nine point return, whilst he raced to a glut of maximums. He created his own piece of speedway history when he appeared in all three league K O Cup Finals for Ipswich (Elite), Hull (Premier) and Somerset (Conference) taking home two winners medals. He had one short spell out of action after crashing at home suffering a reaction to a badly grazed arm that saw it swell to twice its normal size! His true grit was shown though in the Rebels final home league match with Boston where mathematically it was still possible for the title to come to Highbridge. The tall in the saddle racer had been stretchered off to hospital after a bad crash at Hull with back and hip injuries. He turned up at Somerset on crutches electing to ride as Lee Herne was missing having to ride for Arena Essex in an Inter-League challenge. Smith rode four unbeaten brave rides defying the pain barrier for a superb 12 point maximum.

Herne was the subject of several war of words between Arena Essex and the Rebels. Signed originally from Trelawny on loan the Rebels lost his services for the vast majority of home meetings when he went on loan to the Hammers, he served the Rebels well when his Premier League commitments allowed top scoring at Buxton (paid14) and Boston (16) in Conference Trophy matches.

He was effectively replaced in the Trelawny side by Rebels team mate Simon Phillips, who was voted the Rebels Most Improved Rider of the Year and there was no doubting that doubling up with the Tigers in the Premier League made him a much better rider. His wild and woolly racing matured and he produced some really remarkable performances. He resumed as skipper after Malcolm Holloway's injury and "Captain Fantastic" as he was dubbed led his side to victory in both the Conference Trophy and K O Cup. Even when declared a heat leader 48 hours before the K O Cup Final it didn't effect him and he ended the season with a remarkable five ride paid maximum at Newport mounted for most of the meeting on team mate Gary Phelps' spare machine.

Whilst the 2001 season proved to be a success for Simon, brother Mark will not look back at the year with a lot of satisfaction. Backed by local farmer , Ken Coombes, with a brand new bike, the "Undertaker" was really looking forward to a good season but all ended for him when guesting for Exeter at the County Ground against Sheffield. When Simon Stead's bike cut out and he drifted out towards the fence Mark was just going round him. The Rebels favourite was catapulted over the safety fence breaking his wrist in two places. He did not race again all season and took up the team manager's role at Trelawny. He has declared that he will continue this in 2002 as well as making a racing return for the Rebels' Conference League side.

Injury also robbed the Rebels of influential skipper Holloway whose fractured knee suffered at the CLRC ended his 2001 season which had been so successful for the "born again teenager". The 'Mad Wellie' was loved on the Oak Tree Arena terraces and even though he missed the run-in to the end of the season with two trophy successes, he did enough to poll top votes in the Rebels "Rider of the Year" award. The support he, and fellow CLRC finalists Simmons and Holmes (who unluckily lost out on his first final) took with them to Rye House was phenomenal.

Thanks to the sterling efforts of Greg Daniels, who relinquished the team manager's position to concentrate on the meeting presentation and music using his expertise in this field, over 350 Rebel fans arrived at Hoddesdon in seven sponsored coaches. Daniels had raised backing from local and national firms to take the large Rebel Army to the final with their only outlay being their entrance tickets. Unfortunately hero Holloway crashed, amazingly walking back to the pits after lengthy treatment and appearing for the re-run. He led the race for two laps before his knee gave way and this time he was stretchered off. It was brave end to the season for the popular veteran who had hit double figures in all but two meetings all season and had been a tower of strength as skipper of the side.

Following the injury the Rebels spent 72 hours talking Steve Bishop back to replace Mad Wellie. A rescue package of sponsorship from the Old Mill Recording Studio, Kirton Motor Spares, Bike Worx Ltd and Derek Davies saw Bish back on an engine loaned to him by injured team mate Jamie Holmes. Bish was truly amazing looking like he'd never been away. By the end of the season he was truly back to his best and the injuries he sustained back in January at Newport, no longer looked like they were troubling him with his confidence fully returned. At one stage he looked like being involved the other side of the fence agreeing to take on the team manager's role but after one meeting in charge decided against the move with Andrew Hewlett taking over for a few meeting before Laurence Rogers gave up the presenter's job to take charge of the side for the remainder of the season.

Wolverhampton loanee Tim Healey was given as many opportunities as possible and the 18 year old Gloucester based youngster became another darling of the crowd for his battling efforts. He scored a few points but they were all well deserved and earned him loud cheers. When he learns to master the art of gating his progress will improve in leaps and bounds.

Promoter Andrew Hewlett summed up the side's successful 2001 season after the final match at Newport where the Rebels ended in style with a resounding 52-38 victory over their closest rivals. " after the meeting we went for a drink and a meal and we all had a good laugh. Laurence Rogers said it all when he said that the lads we had would be had to emulate. They were a unit. They all helped each other and had tremendous team spirit. Whatever we achieve in the future we will always remember the 2001 season and the riders we were fortunate enough to have ride for us. Their efforts were much appreciated by both the fans and the Rebels management."

Now it's down to the planning for an assault on the Premier League in 2002 alongside tracking a Conference League side that will probably include Mark Phillips, Matt Cross and possibly loanees Jamie Holmes and Tim Healey along with some of the youngsters from the training schools that Ray Dickson has been running.

It all looks very exciting again ...roll on tapes up on the 2002 season.

RIDERS 2001 :

MALCOLM HOLLOWAY : A truly superb season for the Mad wellie up until his injury in the CLRC Final. Consistent scoring both home and away with performances that belied his age. Had a long spell as holder of the Bronze Helmet before losing it to Andrew Moore.

STEVE BISHOP : A remarkable comeback from injury. Rode in the opening fixture against Bristol, then top scored in the K O Cup against Newport after paid 10 at Buxton covering for Holloway. Rode in the Somerset Open in July reaching the semi-final and then was not seen on a bike again until Sept 14th scoring an amazing paid 17 in the K O Cup semi-final.

JAMIE SMITH : The ultra-professional. Almost top of the CL averages with a string of maximums both home and away. Showed true grit when racing to a full score in the final CL home match 48 hours after going through the Hull safety fence and turning up on crutches. Had a bike specially prepared for his CL racing sponsored by Somerset firms and fans.

GARY PHELPS : An inspired signing by the Rebels. He became a cult hero quickly with his all action round the boards style. Became the team joker but got down to the serious stuff out on the track, developing into a tall scorer. Regaining his interest in racing he was clearly enjoying his speedway again.

NICK SIMMONS : Revitalised his season when Newport agreed not to stand in his way when he requested a move to Somerset. Started in the best possible way with a five ride paid maximum on his debut and was another crowd favourite for his efforts with some of his last bend dashes truly unbelievable.

JAMIE HOLMES : Settled in superbly top scoring on his return to parent track Newport with paid 15 in his second outing in Rebels colours. He was proving to be the club's "ace in the hole" before his season ended when crashing against Sheffield in the vital home match on August 31st. This robbed the Devonian of his appearance in the CLRC Final he had deservedly achieved. A season of rapid improvement.

SIMON PHILLIPS : Settled down from being a 'harum-scarum' rider to become a solid scorer with his Premier League doubling up with Trelawny 'ironing out the creases.' His determination was his strongest assets and he ended the season in tip-top form.

MATTHEW CROSS : After a brief and unsuccessful track return in 2000 curtailed by bike problems the local lad took it seriously this time and showed good home form saving his best away performance when most needed by his short handed side in the win at Buxton with paid 11.

MARK PHILIPS : His season was curtailed when guesting on Premier League duty for Exeter in early June. His wrist injuries kept him out of action for the rest of 2001 just after top scoring with 14 in the challenge with Southampton.

TIM HEALEY : Drafted in when short-handed at Sheffield then signed on loan from Wolverhampton. Every point he scored earned loud cheers. One for the future.

LEE HERNE : His Premier League loan to Arena Essex after he lost his team spot at Trelawny robbed the Rebels of his services for most home matches. Came back from a bad mid-season wrist injury but never recaptured his early season form that saw him top score at both Boston and Buxton.000

JARNO KOSONEN : After being declared an 'old-hand', he was reprieved making his debut 24 hours after against the Rebels in a challenge for Southampton. Never completely weighed up the Oak Tree Arena track but was a valuable points scorer away from home saving some of his best performances to the end of the season particularly in the Trophy and Cup Finals.